1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a passenger transport installation making use of independent passive vehicles hauled along a track by traction cables. The vehicles run on a wide cableway track constituted by two laterally spaced, parallel track cables, which extend, at the same height, above the roof of the vehicle. The distance between the two track cables is substantially equal to, or a little smaller than, the width of the vehicle. Each vehicle comprises running wheels located above the roof, which run on the track cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In previous passenger transport installations the vehicle has a carriage which runs on the track cables and a suspension which is situated in the vertical symmetry plane of the two track cables. The upper end of the suspension is fixed by means of a pivot bolt to the carriage and the lower end is fixed to the roof of the vehicle, so that the installation may be installed in difficult mountainous terrain where large inclinations of the track are required. The free-hanging vehicle ensures a constant vertical position for the vehicle, whether the track cable is horizontal or inclined. The length of the suspension is large to permit the free-swinging of the vehicle and the known installations are voluminous and complicated and are not adapted for urban or intercity transportation.
Another known transportation system comprises two track cables, a track cable being on each side of the vehicle, and the vehicle is coupled by a fixed grip to a traction cable located above the vehicle roof. The vehicle is hauled up and down on the track by the traction cable. This shuttle system has a limited transport capacity.
The invention is based on the appreciation that it is desirable to provide an overhead cable installation acceptable for general use in urban areas. The cableway should have a relative light supporting structure and a large transport capacity.